Improvement in hand-washers



H. 0. De'WI'I'T. Hand-Washer.

Pafentd' Aug. 20, 187-8."

H Willi QKMJM u. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

HENRY C. DE WVITT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAND-WASHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207, 109, dated August 20, 1878; application filed June 10, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. DE WITT, of the city of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fountain-Washers, of which the following is a specification:

This invention has for its object the construction of a washer to be used in washing or scouring cloths, or any kind of textile fabric, by taking it in one or both hands and moving it backward and forward over an ordinary wash-board, or any surface upon which the article to be washed or scoured is placed; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Figure 1 is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a cross vertical sectional view of my fountain-washer.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different drawings.

A is the fountain, placed upon the board B, the under surface of which is corrugated similarly to the surface of an ordinary wash-board. This fountain is made higher in front than at the rear side, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2. The object of this is to make the reservoir large enough, and make room to graspthe handle, and to make the washer as low as possible, so it can be worked with ease, as when made low and flat it is worked with greater ease than when made high. a, Fig. 2, is an opening in the top of the reservoir, to allow the water to enter. At this opening the edges of the top drop down, as shown at a, which prevents the water from splashing out while in the act of rubbing the cloth. C is the handle. Any kind of handle that will admit of readily being taken hold of will do. I), Fig. 2, is a metal plate, placed upon the upper surface of the corrugated board. 0 c are holes through the corrugated board. There are holes b through the metal plate b immediately over the holes 0 0. The'holes c c in the board partially close by the swelling of the wood, caused by the action of the water on the wood; and to insure a constant supplyof water at all times, these holes are made larger than the corresponding holes I) in the plate I). The

in the act of washing. It gathers the cloth up under it, and squeezes it just as is the case when the hand is used, and at the same time water is constantly flowing from the fountain onto the cloth. 3

All the advantages of hand-washing are secured, with the additional advantage of a con stant supply of water onto the cloth while in the act of being rubbed. Ihave found, by practice, that laces and fragile articles can be washed with safety. In fact, any article that can be washed by hand can be washed by my fountain-washer, and with the additional advantage that it can be done in less than one-half of theusual time, as the surface of the washer is much larger than the two hands.

I do not confine myself to the precise form of the rubbing-surface shown and described herein.

Instead of corrugated, any style or form of surface can be used that will answer the purpose.

I am aware that hand-rubbers have been made with a fountain over the rubbing-surface, and perforated to admit of the water dropping through upon the clothes. The history of the art shows this.

I claim- A fountain-washer composed of fountain A, handle C, corrugated board B, having holes 0, and metallicplate I), having holes 0, all arranged, constructed, and operating substan tially as shown and described.

HENRY C. DE WITT.

Witnesses A. O. PHILLIPS, JAS. A. OowLEs. 

